Burial-vault.



R. J. RATTON.

BURIAL VAULT.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 1,-1908.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

/ I i i i 3 1m n to 1,

alito'bnu o understood that var1ous changes 'Sections 5 acatar J. BnArToN, or GEORGETOWN. ItmNoIs.

simian-vaina.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application led August 7, 1608, Serial N o. 447,471.

To all whom it 'may comm:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. BRATTON, a citizen of the United States, .residing .at Georgetown, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Burial-Vault, of which the following is a specification..

This invention relates to artificial stone burial vaults and has for its object t provide a cement burial vault which stro and durable in construction and practicdlly air and moisture roof.

A further o ject of the invention is to provide a burial vault including top and bottom sections, a receptacle secured to the bottom section, and a cover housed Within the top seczion and forming a closure for said receptac e. r A furtherobject is to provide means for permitting the escape of gas from the inner receptacle', and means for spacing the casket .from the bottom of the inner receptacle so' as to permit the lowe straps.

`A s't' further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

Further ob'ects and advantages will appear in the Jollowing description, it being ready withdrawal of the proportionsand minor details of construction may be resorted to Within the scope of the appended claims.

In t e accom anying drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an artificial stone vault constructedy in accordance with my inver'itio'n,l Fig. 2 1s a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. v3V 'is an enlarged detailsectional view showing the construction of the valve. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the reinforcing core o f the top vault section detached. Fig. 5 is a similar view of thereinforcng member of the lower vault section detached.

Slmilar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the -figures of the The improved vault forming the subject vmatter of the present invention comprises anl outer receptacle including top and bottom and 6, 's'aid sections being molded er otherwise formed of cement, concrete or other plastic material. The lower section 6 is 'I'uvided with a vertically disposed mare with the or' loops 15. The loops 15 adord a means for:

in form,

ginal iiange 7 vand is reinforced and strengthened by theprovision of. a core member preferably stamped or otherwise formed of sheet metal and comprising intersecting longitudi` nal and transverse strips 8 and 9, said strips beingbent to form an ularly disposed fingers ladapted to be em edded in the concrete forming the iiange 7 so as to assist in reinforcing and strengthenin said Hang?. The upper vault section 5 is a so prefera ly reinforced and strengthened by a core member similar in construction to the core member of the lower vault section and including intersecting longitudinal and transverse strips 11 `there being threaded openings 14 formed in the longitudinal strip 11 for engagement threaded Shanks of supporting eyes lowering the up er section into the grave and are 'adapted to e removed prior to filling the rave and the apertures formed by said oops or eyes ille with cement or concrete so as to prevent moisture from entering the interior of the vault.

Secured -to the outer bottom section 6 is an inner bottom section or rece tacle 16, the

with their low edges embedded in the ce` ment in the groove 17 and resting en the inner face of the bottom section 6, as best shown in Fig. 2, of the drawings. The lower section 16 of the inner receptacle is `rigidly secured to the bottom section of the outer receptacle by means of threaded bolts 19 which pass through transverse bars 20 for engagement with threaded openings y 21 formed in the transverse arms of the 'reinforcing member of .the adjacent lower vault 'latter being preferably forme of metal and section. The heads 22 -of the bolts bear against the transverse bars 20 and not onl serve to lock the latter in engagement wit the bottom of the inner receptacle`16 but. also serve -to'prevent wear on said receptacle when the bolts are adjusted.

Disposed within the-inner receptacle 16 are channel irons 23 which form housings for the bars20 and bolts 19 and also serve to reinforce vand .strengthen the inner receptacle'` -f and prevent the side walls thereof from beingforced inwardly when cement is introduced within the groove 1 7. The an le bars or housings 23 also serve to space t ecoiin or casket above the bottom of the inner receptacle 16 so as to permit the ready withcement receiving groove 17 is a pipe section or tube 24 having its inner end ared at 25 and rigidly secured to the receptacle 16, the outer end of the ipe or tube being off set to form a seat 26 or the reception of a ball valve 27. The valve 27 serves to permit the escape of the gas from the interior of the vault due to decomposition of the body and is normally and yieldably supported to its seat by means of a coiled spring 28, one end of which bears against the valve, while the other end thereof bears against a bar 29 extending transversely across the Amouth of the pipe or tube, as shown, The side wall or inner top section 18 is formed with a recess 30 for the reception of the tube 24.whereby the section 18 may be positioned upon or removed from the section 16 Without coming in contact with said tube.

By forming the lower section 6 with amarinal flange, the vault may be used in a grave aving several inches of water in the bottom thereof, the cement in the groove 17 serving to prevent the entrance of water to the inner receptacle in case the water in the grave should rise above the height of the flange. In using the vault the section 6 is lowered to the bottom of the grave and the groove 17 filled or partially iilled with cement or other plastic material. lowered within the inner receptacle 16 and allowed to rest on the angle bars or cas' s 23, after which the lowering straps are wit drawn and the cover section 18 of the inner receptacle placed in position on said inner rece tacle with the lower longitudinal edge of t e section 18 embedded in the cement.

The outer top section 5 is then ositioned over the section 18 with its lowerllongitudinalv edges embedded in the cement and resting on the inner face of the bottom section 6 the eyes or loops 15 being subse uently removed and the openings formed y the removal of said eyes closed with cement or concrete, as before stated.

Attention is here called to the fact that the outer receptacle forms a casing or ,housing for the inner receptacle so as to prevent corroding of the metal, while said inner receptacle forms an air and-moisture proof compartment for the reception of the coffin or casket. It will also be noted that the coflin issupported above the bottom of the inner receptacle, while the mouth 'of the vent tube 24 The cofiin or casket is thenV communicates with the interior of the inner receptacle beneath the bottom of the casket so as to permit the ready escape of gas from said inner receptacle.

'The vaults ma be made in different sizes and shapes wit the outer sections constructed of glass, terra-cotta, cement or other suitable material, it being preferable, however, to construct the outer rece tacle of concrete and the inner receptacle o copper or sheet iron.

Havingthus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A burial vault including top and bottom sections, a receptacle secured to the bottom section,l and having a compartment for the reception of a casket and a cover housed within the top section and forming a closure for said rece tacle.

2. A buria vault including outer telescopic top and bottom sections, and inner telescopic top and bottom sections housed within the outer top and bottom sections and forming a compartment for the reception of a casket.

3. A burial vault including an outer bottom-section provided with a vertical ange, an inner bottom section secured to the outer bottom section and spaced from the fiange to form a cement receiving groove, an outer top section having its lowerI longltudinal edge seated in theoement receiving groove, and an inner top section forming a closure for the inner bottom section and housed within the outer top section.

4. A burial vault including outer telescopic top and `bottom sections having reinforc members embedded therein, inner top an bottom sections housed by said outer sections, reinforcing bars restlng on the bottom inner section, fastening devices piercing said bars and engaging the reinforcing core of the,

`housings for the fastening devices and serving to sup ort a coiiin in elevated position above the ottom ofthe inner sectlon.

5. A burial' vault including an outer artificial stone bottom section, an outer, artificial stone top section resting on said 1 bottom section, and an inner metallic receptacle comprising telescopic to4 and bottom sections housed within sai artificial stone sections and adapted to receive ay casket.

6,. A burialvault including outerartificial ,stone top and bottom sections, inner metallic telescoplc sections housed within the outer sections and forming a compartment for `the reception of a casket, fastening devices for securing the lower inner telescopic section to the bottom outer section, and transverse angle bars forming housings for the fastening devices and also :serving lto supportthe casket above the bottom of the compartment.v W l,

7. A burial vault including outer top and bottom sections, one of which is provided witn a marginal ange, inner telescopic sec` tions spaced. from the flange of tne outer section to form a cement receiving groove, fastening devices securing one of tne inner sections to tne adjacent outer section, angle bars forming housings for the fastening devices, and a vent tube communicating with ne interior compartment between said angle aIS.

8. A burial vault including outer telescopic artincial stone sections, one of which is provided witn a marginal flange, reinforcing strips embeddedin tne material forming said sections and formed of intersecting longitudinal and transverse arms terminating in angularly disposed nngers, the lingers of the 1ower section being embedded in the `iange, an inner receptacle housed witnin tne sections of. tne o uter receptacle p and formed of telescopic sections, transverse bars resting on the bottom of thev inner receptacle, fastening devices extending through the bars and engaging perrorations in tne reinforcing strip ottne adjacent outer vault section, nousings disposed within the inner receptacle at said fastening devices and forming supports for a casket, a vent tube extending tnrougn the Walls of the inner and outer receptacles and communicating with the inner receptacle, and supporting loops carried by one or tne outer sections and tnreaded in suitable openings in the reinforcing core of said section.

ln testimony tnat l claim the foregoing as my` own, 1 nave nereto amxed my signature in tne presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT J. BRATTON. 

